Our Next Life
by Crimson Axel
Summary: Roxas has a sucky life. Maybe a new school change will brighten his future. [AxelRoxas & other pairings as the chapters unfold]
1. Prologue

**A/N**: This is not my first yaoi fanfiction. Any flames you have, well, you can keep them to yourself. I know damned well that they aren't gay in the games/manga, but I do have the right to my imagination being shared with the public. ;3 Anyway, if this first chapter seems a bit spacey, it's because it's only the Prologue. The real first chapter comes next. This just shows the events leading to the first chapter, so enjoy!

**Warning(s)**: Rated MA for future lemons in future chapters. This involved yaoi, which is m/m sexual relations. If that freaks you out, then I wonder why you stumbled on this fanfic to begin with… hmm…

**Pairings**: So far, you've got to know it will end up Axel/Roxas. Other pairings may follow, and I might 'spice' things up a bit by messing with the main pairing, but that's for me to type and you to find out.

---

Life wasn't perfect. Roxas had known that since the day he could walk on his own. He could remember bits and pieces of his childhood, where his mother and father would constantly fight about nonchalant things that he didn't understand, until finally, one day, his mother took Roxas and left. It wasn't that long afterwards that he saw his father again, but it wasn't in the family room; it was in court. There was a trial on which parent would have full custody on him, although it turned out that they would have to share. Both cases were suitable, and in the end, they would told to trade of Roxas every other year.

One could imagine that having to switch schools every year was hard. Roxas didn't have many friends in either school, since he would keep to himself. Besides your average friendly classmate, he didn't have anyone. Not even his parents, who had claimed they 'loved' him, would talk to him much besides idle talk at dinner. They never asked about school. They never questioned him why no friends came over to study, or why he was always alone on breaks. Even after he began showing signs of depression and one of the school's guidance counselors suggested therapy, they still didn't question. He had to wonder, did anyone even know he existed?

As the years went on, he became desperate. In the middle of spending a year with his mother, he snuck into the kitchen one night while she was sleeping and starting messing around with one of her lighters. Entranced by the flame, he had taken it to the curtains and let the orange and yellow heat flicker across the maroon fabric. When the flame expanded, he merely dropped the lighter and fell back. If the firefighters had been any second later, Roxas would have died that night. Now alive, he absently wished he would have. Maybe he would get more attention in the afterlife.

It was December, but the snow couldn't have stopped the flames. That night his mother's house was completely taken by the fire. The public only knew the fire to have started by the stove being left on. People were indeed oblivious. His mother had no choice but to rent a hotel in town. The next day, Roxas overheard his mother talking to his father on the phone. Eventually they decided it would be best for him to spend the rest of her year with his father, and they would plan everything else once she got her home re-built. However, in the past couple of months, his father had been busy moving. He was now farther away, and if Roxas moved, he would have to go to an all-new school. As if his life wasn't hard enough. Having no say in the matter, he was ordered to pack what little belongings he had left and told that he would be catching a train the following day heading to his father's new town of Bellerose.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This is not my first yaoi fanfiction. Any flames you have, well, you can keep them to yourself. I know damned well that they aren't gay in the games/manga, but I do have the right to my imagination being shared with the public. ;3

Well, it's off to the first chapter! I hope you enjoy! If you don't, well, then go waste your time elsewhere, I guess.

**Warning(s)**: Rated MA for future lemons in future chapters. This involved yaoi, which is m/m sexual relations. If that freaks you out, then I wonder why you stumbled on this fanfic to begin with… hmm…

**Pairings**: So far, you've got to know it will end up Axel/Roxas.

---

Roxas woke up like he usually did; tired and emotionless. He took a quick shower and lazed back into his 'room' to put on a pair of clothes that his mother bought him after the fire. Pretty much everything else had been lost, but he couldn't complain, since he had been the one who started it. He wore a pair of dark blue trousers that hugged his thighs and hips while chains hung from the pockets and jingled whenever he made sudden movements. His wore a black t-shirt that had vivid white designs over a blue long-sleeved shirt that held skull cufflinks near the hem. His sandy-blonde hair was spiked into its usual look, and his face—expressionless. He didn't slip on his black vans with the blue stripe on the side until he finally dragged himself out of his room. It was than that his mother greeted him with a seemingly _real_ genuine smile as she embraced her son.

"I'm sorry you have to leave me half-way, and to such a new place…" Her fake concern was nearly touching. Roxas nodded his head and stomped his foot on the ground to fully get it inside his right shoe. "Are you sure you'll be okay on the train by yourself? You may be sixteen, but you're still my baby!" she teased him with a smile. He laughed at this. She was _making_ him go on the train alone. Her words would change nothing.

"No, mom. I'll be fine. It's only for a couple of hours." Roxas managed to crack a ghost of a smile that seemed to reassure her. She nodded and kissed his forehead, and then held up the backpack that held all of his belongings plus a couple changes of clothes. He took it, slung one of the straps over his shoulder, and began to head for the door. His mother followed.

The car ride to the train station felt like forever. He was sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window with his face pressed against the cold glass. His mother had put the radio on low, but he could still hear the old 80's music that she liked so much faintly every time he took his mind off everything and paid attention to what was going on inside the car. When they had arrived, his mother had to say his name to snap him out of his daze. Reluctantly, he opened the car door and wrinkled his nose as the scent of gasoline and coal reached him. Together they walked up to the boarding line. His train slowly had come in, and the conductor was smiling at people as they got on the train. Roxas gave a shallow glance at his mother while she "fixed" his hair by licking her thump and merely ruffling it.

"You be a good boy for your father," she said with a smile, kissing his cheek again. He rolled his eyes and nodded, but waved to her after he had taken the ticket from her hands and headed to the nearest train door. It was funny. Not even an exchange in 'I love you's like usual mothers and sons do. Then again, he didn't have a 'loving' kind of family. They only pretended. They always have.

The train had two floors. The upper level had only one seat per person, so he chose to ride that way. Having to squeeze past several people was a burden, especially when a few of them seemed to _like_ it, but he eventually found a seat all to himself. The train smelled of alcohol and smoke, which he finally took in as normal. Everything looked a bit run-down and messy, but he guessed they didn't have much time to clean when they were so busy moving people around. He didn't dare press his cheek against this window; God knows how many dirty hands and faces and other parts have been there. Instead, he looked to see if his mother was seeing the train off, only to find that her car was almost out of the lot already but was stuck in parking lot traffic. He sighed, cerulean eyes closing. What did he expect?

With his black backpack in his lap, he absently fumbled with the zipper. It was supposed to be a long train ride. Why did his father have to buy a new place? Didn't he understand that he was just making it harder on his son as they tossed him around like a salad from year to year? When have they _ever_ considered his feelings? The blonde glanced around at other passengers on the train. Most were sleeping; others were huddling up in their coats and wishing the cold weather would stop. Roxas was used to the cold. He liked it. After the fire, after realizing what he had done, he had come to find that he _hated_ fiery things. He had only set the place on fire because he wanted attention. Attention that he didn't get. So he hated fire. He hated hot. It didn't work.

Despite how he liked the cold, he still felt too cold for his own comfort. His winter jacket had been lost with other various items in the fire, and his mother had neglected to own up and get him one. She probably didn't care now that she was sending him to his father's.

Once again, he was lost in thoughts when the conductor finally snapped at him, asking for his ticket. Frowning, the blonde reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He had to lean down pretty far for the man to reach it, and then had foolishly decided to stay in that position until the man made a few clicks on it with some kind of… stapler looking device, before handing it back up to him. Roxas slightly crumpled the ticket in his hand and stuffed it into his pocket before getting into his original position and sinking back into his mind. Not too long after that, the soft rocks of the train dulled him to sleep…

It was dark. The nearby buildings cradled the shadowy streets in filtering neon lights that twinkled from being overused. The caress of the wind created haunting noises against stone and metal alike, giving the area an eerie tone to it. In the center of a square, two men draped in black cloaks with hoods covering their faces clashed oddly shaped blades until one fell on his back and questioned the other. The man standing made a rude comment before attacking the fallen once more, but he ended up getting away. Now only a single cloaked man stood in the square, the blade appearing in a flash of crystalline light. Eventually, while he stood there, the wind pushed back his hood.

Another cloaked man leaned against one of the building's support beams. His arms were crossed as fiery red hair danced around his face with the touch of the wind. The man who had been standing in the square began storming past him, only to be stopped by the fiery man's voice. "You can't turn against the Organization! Get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"

Slender fingers curled into fists while the crimson haired man glared at the back of the other's blonde, spiky head. The blonde's crystalline eyes slightly glanced back while he coldly brushed off his words. "No one would miss me." The redhead must have been shocked, for he didn't mumble a word until the other was gone. The black, overturned triangles under his eyes could even be mistaken for tears.

"That's not true… I would."

…Roxas woke with a start. The conductor was shaking his shoulder, and as he looked around, he noticed that none of the other passengers were on the train. His backpack had slipped off his lap and he was sweating despite the cold. A bad dream…?

"Kid, you need to get off," the conductor said with a thoughtful frown. He nodded and picked up his bag, wiping the sweat from his forehead and nose on the back of his left sleeve. The conductor followed him to the first floor and to the nearest door of the train, just to make sure he wasn't going to fool around when he was just waking up. But despite not being a morning person, Roxas was fine… just cold. He rubbed his arm and panted a few puffs of breath into the snowy air, glancing around for any signs of his father.

He left footprints in the snow and stared around as people hurried onto the train or hurried towards the parking lot. The snow was getting denser, and already his blonde hair was flaked in a layer of frozen water. When he blinked, snowflakes that had been gracing his lashes melted and traveled down his cheeks like dry tears. He finally stood waiting in the center of the sidewalk, feeling numb. Had his father forgotten about him?

"Are you Roxas?"

The question came out the blue. With wide, crystalline eyes, he turned and abruptly met the hues that mimicked his own. A brunette probably his exact height smiled at him with kind cerulean eyes of his own. His coat was long enough to cover the back of his knees, and looked black enough to blend in with the shadows. The boy's black trousers covered half of his yellow converse that seemed to be written on and used a little too frequently. Roxas could see a silver chain bunching up around the top button on his coat, but he still couldn't see what dangled off it. And despite how his hood was up, the blonde could see make out how wild and horizontal the other's brunette spikes were. This guy must have caught him staring because he laughed and tilted his head to the side. "Well, are you?"

Roxas snapped into attention and nodded. "Y-yeah, that's me… but who are you?"

This guy must have been waiting for that answer. Without much warning, he quickly took Roxas' arm and began pulling him towards the parking lot. Roxas nearly dropped his backpack. "I'm your step-brother! Father sent me here to get you because he's busy with work at the last minute, and he thought that I should 'break the ice' with you, anyway!" He seemed a bit too cheery for his own good.

The brunette dragged him to a snow-toppled black mustang in the parking lot, where someone seemed to already be waiting. "I'm Sora, by the way. It's nice to meet you, Roxas." He smiled at the blonde and finally let go of his arm, before wrapping his knuckles on the window of the passenger seat. Whoever was in there seemed to lock the door and didn't notice Sora had come back. There was a click, and Sora whipped around, nearly knocking Roxas over. "Sorry! I call the front seat!" He giggled and winked, but before climbing into his seat, he opened the door behind his for Roxas.

Roxas didn't know what to think. First of all, he was angry with his father for not telling him he got married to a woman who had a kid his age. Wasn't that kind of important information? And how long ago had this happened? After all, he had only last seen his father but merely months ago, and at that time his father hadn't seen a woman for so long that he could even swear he was gay. But now he kind of understood why his father must have moved. It was to be with his new _wife_. He threw his bag into the back seat and climbed in after it, getting his first look at the person who was going to be driving him 'home'.

At first, he thought it was going to be Sora's mother. Instead, he got a surprise. It was a male in the front seat, with silver hair so fine it looked platinum. It wasn't cut, but hung down and straight around his pale features until about his shoulders. It was layered and thin, and when the male turned around to look at him, he caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were _beautiful_. A lovely lime green that seemed to mix with emerald and hazel at the same time, glazed with amusement and curiosity as those beautiful hues stared back at him. The man's cheekbones were thin and his jaw seemed a bit sharp, and although he looked cold he seemed almost… friendly after Sora climbed into the car. Those eyes left him and flicked towards the brunette, seeming in need of something.

"Jerk, why'd you lock the doors? I was coming right back!" Sora pouted and Roxas saw a clever smirk drift across the other male's pale features. He shivered. It was almost a bit scary. Sora didn't wait for an explanation. Actually, he giggled when he remembered that Roxas was there and slightly turned in his seat to look at the blonde. "Oops. I forgot to introduce you two. Roxas, this is Riku. He's a year older than us and he had to drive me here because I got my license suspended..," his voice trailed off and he pouted at the mention.

The man said to be Riku turned his mysterious eyes back on Roxas while a slender hand reached back to claim the blonde's. It was a good thing his was already flushing because of the cold, since he seemed to blush under it as he reached out and shook the silver haired man's hand. "It's… nice to meet you. I'm Roxas."

"I know." Riku's voice was chilling, but it seemed to excite Sora for some reason to hear the man talk. The brunette got into a good sitting position and waved his arms.

"I bet you'll love dad's place! It's really big… but we can share rooms if you want, Roxas. You know, if you get scared." Roxas flushed at the comment and glared at the back of Sora's head. Riku seemed to glare playfully at Sora as well, but he soon turned back towards the wheel and shifted the gear into drive so they could slowly get home.

Throughout the ride, they shared idle talk. Riku rarely spoke, but Sora sure did seem to be quite the chatterbox. Roxas would sometimes answer him, but he wasn't even paying attention. Mostly, he would just stare out the window at the white landscape beyond, wondering where they were going and how life would be from now on. Once he glanced up at the rear view mirror to see Riku's eyes flick on his own through it. _How did he know I was looking?!'_ he thought after quickly changing his gaze out the window. _This Riku… he's a bit of a suspicious character.._

Roxas must have dozed off, because suddenly he awoke with a start after Sora squealed out his name. He nearly dropped into the snow, because the brunette had opened his door and was grinning down at him. "Wow, Roxas. You're so cute when you're sleeping!" Sora giggled and stepped back for the blonde to get out. Roxas' ears burned red and went to grab his backpack, but found that it wasn't there. Crap! Did he leave it?!

"Looking for this?" That chilling voice again. Roxas slowly glanced behind Sora as Riku dangled his black backpack over the giggling male's shoulder.

"Yeah… thanks." Roxas slowly got out of the car and took the backpack, hugging it to his chest while Riku smirked at him.

"Aww, Riku. I think we should get inside. He looks so cold in just those dainty things!" Sora finally said seriously, and unexpectedly took Roxas into an embrace. Roxas had half a mind to shove him off, but Sora was warm… so inviting after he had felt so cold. He was just beginning to feel like he could pass out when Riku gripped his arm, keeping him in the world of reality.

"Let's bring him inside then."

It was then that Roxas got his first glance at the building. It looked like a _mansion_, it was so huge! His mouth dropped and his crystalline eyes bugged out slightly at just the mere sight of it, and he had to crane his neck as he got closer. It seemed to have two stories, but then the bottom story much have a high ceiling. Sora laughed at his expression and took his arm, leading him in while Riku led the way a few feet in front of them.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N**: This is not my first yaoi fanfiction. Any flames you have, well, you can keep them to yourself. I know damned well that they aren't gay in the games/manga, but I do have the right to my imagination being shared with the public. ;3

Second chapter! Isn't it funny that I finish them so fast? I have a feeling that it will expand with time, though. Meh. Well, enjoy!

**Warning(s)**: Rated MA for future lemons in future chapters. This involved yaoi, which is m/m sexual relations. If that freaks you out, then I wonder why you stumbled on this fanfic to begin with… hmm…

**Pairings**: So far, you've got to know it will end up Axel/Roxas. I may sometimes hint Riku/Roxas, but it's just adding onto your piled up drama. You'll get lots of drama, don't worry. XD

---

Sora spent most of the morning attempting to show Roxas every nook and cranny of the house-mansion. Roxas was still in slight shock from his father having such an expensive looking place, that is, until Sora giddily explained that his mother's father was filthy stinking rich, and when he died, all of his money went to his only child. The blonde had to wonder… did his dad only get with Sora's mom because of the money? He had never really seen the man get along with a woman without fighting before, and that was the only explanation he could come up with. He also wondered what Sora thought about the matter. Then again, he didn't know if the brunette took anything seriously.

Near the end of the tour, Roxas had already counter 12 bathrooms, 9 bedrooms, 1 library, 2 kitchens, 1 dining room, 1 family eating room, 3 entertainment rooms, about 3 rooms that could pass off as offices, and the final room that could still be considered a bedroom was the baby room. That's right. His father had had _sex_ with Sora's mother and they had a _baby._ When did the man plan on telling him this?! What, was it a surprise?! Obviously he must have been seeing this woman when he was still on his father's time. Just when in the _hell_ was going on!?!

Sora must have noticed Roxas' irritation and he suddenly stopped the tour. Riku was no longer with them, and had instead left for the kitchen to make them some sandwiches. "Roxas, you must have a lot of questions," the brunette mumbled, his eyes softening as did his voice. Roxas' crystalline hues slightly widened at the other's change of attitude, but he was still angry. He nodded. "When Riku is done making our sandwiches, we can talk all about it, I promise." Sora's voice was oddly comforting; caring. Roxas became confused, not having anyone sound like that for the most of his life, but nodded again.

As if a switch were hit, Sora was back into his giggly self. He grabbed Roxas' hand and pulled him into the last room. This room was supposed to be his own.

"Riku and I designed it for you! We didn't know what you liked, but we asked you dad, and he didn't really know either… so I hope you like the color that Riku picked." Sora let go of Roxas' hand and let the blonde inspect the room on his own free will. Like he was before, the male was in awe. Riku had designed this room for him? Well, obviously Sora had some part in it, but all Roxas could picture was Riku hard at work in a tank, covered with blotches of paint as he continued rolling sticky globs onto the walls. He blushed at his own thoughts.

The room was decorated in a cool, dark blue. There was a window in the right corner that the bed neatly settled underneath. The comforter matched the color of the wall, but seemed a bit darker, as were the color of the pillows. The headboard was dark wood that seemed to have been picked out at the same time as the dresser and desk. The dresser was small, placed against the wall at the foot of the bed next to the closet. A television was settled on top, silver-looking, while the desk was pressed against the wall near the door. A silver computer that matched the television settled, brand-new, on the desk. And if that wasn't enough, there was a banner draped on the naked wall where Roxas knew he would end up putting posters of various bands that he liked that read 'Welcome home, new brother!', obviously made by Sora.

Roxas felt almost as if he were going to cry. Instead, he firmly closed his eyes shut and kept his back away from Sora, just in case. He tensed when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Do you like it, nii-chan?" Sora asked quietly, hoping that he did.

The blonde had never been genuinely cared for by his parents. He had always felt so neglected growing up, wanting their love, in need of them to realize how much he was hurting. And now, some two guys he barely even knew for two hours did something for him that his parents would have never done. It was… a pleasant feeling.

"I do… I… I really do. Thank you _so_ much, Sora," he said firmly, finally turning to look at the brunette with a smile. It was at that point that Riku entered the room, carrying a plate piled with three sandwiches, and enough to catch the smile draping Roxas' features.

"Eeyaa! That's so cute! That look, right there!" Sora exclaimed, jumping on Roxas and wrapping his arms tightly around the blonde's neck. Choking, Roxas tried to loosen his step-brother's arms so he could breathe. But this time, he wasn't aggravated. He was… happy. Maybe this new change wasn't so bad after all. Maybe he could keep this feeling for once in his life. All in all, he knew he had finally made two friends.

"All right, you two. I didn't make these for nothing," Riku stated, settling down in the center of the floor. Sora dragged Roxas down with him, nearly forcing the blonde to sit in his lap, but Riku tugged the brunette over to give Roxas some breathing space. Roxas quietly thanked him and reached for the plate to take a sandwich.

While they ate, they chatted. It turned out that Riku had chosen the color for the room, while Sora had picked out the furniture and let Riku do most of the work in fixing everything. Although Roxas thought the platinum-haired man would be angry with that, he was surprised to find that Riku seemed happy he did the work. He also noticed that whenever Riku looked at Sora, the man seemed kinder… more bright. Roxas wondered what his relationship with his step-brother was, but before he could ask, he all of a sudden sneezed.

"Roxas!! Oh no! Being out in the cold for a long time without a coat… you must be catching a cold! That's terrible! I mean, we have school tomorrow!" Sora whined and complained, getting to his feet and running about until Riku advised him to go get some aspirin for the blonde. _School! I almost forgot about that…_ Well, at least he knew that he would be going with Sora. Now, this _cold_ thing might pose a problem. He rarely got sick, but when he did, it was usually devastating.

"I was wondering why your cheeks stayed red," Riku stated, cutting right through the eerie silence. Roxas snapped his attention to the other and seemed to blush, but quickly glanced away.

"Yeah, that's gotta be it then… aheh," he mumbled, but felt like an idiot for talking. Riku seemed so cool! And here he was, being boring. Riku shifted from his spot and moved forward, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek and force him to stare into his brilliant eyes.

"Don't be embarrassed to look at me. Sora used to be the same way…" He smirked, and Roxas' blush deepened. He could feel the man's breath tickling his face. _I-is he seducing me?_ Roxas desperately thought before Riku pulled back with a laugh. It was almost like the man could read his mind! His blush deepened, but before he could say anything, Sora entered the room in a rush.

"D-don't worry, nii-chan! I has aspirin for you!" the brunette exclaimed and dived down next to the blonde's spot. Surprised and still embarrassed, he barely had time to react before Sora cranked open his mouth and dropped two pills inside.

"Don't force him, Sora," Riku lectured as Roxas choked, but Sora worriedly handed him a cup filled with water to wash it down. Before he actually did choke, Roxas quickly swallowed all of the cup's contents. His eyes were watering from 'nearly dying', and Sora threw his arms around his neck.

"S-Sora, I'm okay..," he mumbled, awkwardly patting Sora's back. The brunette groaned something against his collar and Roxas looked up. Looking at Riku, he could have _sworn_ he saw jealousy in the man's eyes. It brought a shiver down his spine, which turned out to be a bad thing, since Sora suddenly pulled back with wide eyes.

"You've got the chills! Riku, do something!"

It took about an hour for Sora to calm down about Roxas. In that time, Riku had showed the blonde the bathroom to take a shower. Oddly enough, he would have to go to bed early according to Sora, so he would have less chance of getting sick and the brunette would finally calm down. Roxas wasn't one to take long showers, but instead was out within five minutes. He didn't expect his drawers to be filled with clothing. Sora said that their father told him they pretty much wore the same size. The only problem was, some of the clothing turned out to be something that he would never wear in his life. But, Riku, having known that, secretly promised to take Roxas out shopping sometime soon.

The good news was: he had a coat now! It was a smooth, creamy-colored jacket with a fuzzy interior to keep him warm. Despite how he didn't like most of the clothing bought for him, Roxas ended up adoring the jacket. Sora, who had found Roxas' admiring look to be adorable, ended up glomping him again.

The three of them spent hours together, talking about… really… nothing, until Roxas popped the big question.

"Riku, do you live here or something? From what Sora says, it seems like you're always with him.."

There was a long silence. After hours talking in a friendly tone and actually believing he had friends for once, it became and awkward silence. He immediately hated it.

Sora seemed to slightly shift in his spot. He glanced at Riku a little and the platinum-haired man exchanged glances with him. Something about their actions seemed suspicious, and Roxas wished he could go back in time and beat the hell out of himself for even asking it.

Finally, however, Riku spoke up. He had the same chilling voice that he did back in the car, when the man was still unsure about the blonde. Roxas felt as if he were shrinking to a spec on the spot. Actually, he just wished he would. "Sora and I have been best friends since he was born."

Why did he feel like they weren't telling him something?

"Hey! You're a year older than me," Sora pouted, but something about his expression seemed a bit off. Roxas felt like he was deflating.

"It's not my fault you were born late." Riku looked as if he wanted to go right to Sora on the spot for that _cute_ little pout of his, but he seemed to be restraining himself. Okay, something was going on, but the blonde just couldn't quite figure it out. He hated not knowing things. It made him feel like he wasn't important enough to know stuff.

"Umm, so you guys always hang out because you're best friends?" Roxas asked awkwardly, and Riku slightly gazed at him through a glazed expression that made his hues seem haunted.

"Yes."

A few more hours passed and his father finally came home. Finally! Maybe now Roxas could get some answers. They were all told by a maid that they were supposed to tidied up for supper. Also, Riku would be forced to leave. It was supposed to be a family dinner. Sora looked sad that Riku had to leave. Roxas turned his back for one minute and the two of them were gone. To look around for them, he ended up getting lost in the east wing until he bumped into a maid who was cleaning up one of the unused bedrooms. She kindly pointed him out to the dining room hall where he found his way again.

He spotted Sora near the front door. He had melting snowflakes all over his brunette head, so he had obviously just been outside.

"Did Riku leave?" Roxas asked, stepping up to his step-brother. Sora's usually lively expression faltered but he smiled and nodded, eyes closed. Was he closing his eyes to hide his true feelings? Ah… he was beginning to get worried now, until the other finally returned to his usual self.

"Nii-chan, you look adorable when you're sympathetic!" he cheered, throwing his arms around the other. Roxas, feeling smothered, didn't notice the woman who came up behind them.

"Now, now, Sora. Don't scare off your new brother."

Sora immediately let go of Roxas and grinned, running up to his mother. Roxas turned to look at her, eyes wide with awe for the third time that day. Sora's mother seemed to look expensive herself. She, like Riku's eyes, was beautiful. Her hair color was the same as Sora's, but the style defiantly wasn't the same. It was long, even more than Riku's, and reached down to her middle back. She was wearing a red evening gown, and her make-up, though adorning her features slightly, made her into any man's dream. She was a petite woman. Thin ankles, thin wrists, thin waist. And although you could barely see it, without Sora's coat, her son did look a lot like her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Roxas. I'm Sonya," she greeted with a smile. Roxas, finally snapping out of his stare like he had with Riku and Sora, bowed his head in respect to the woman.

"Yes! Very nice to meet you, ma'am." She seemed to find amusement in this. Laughing, although it didn't sound like Sora's usual giggle, she wrapped her arms around her son but continued talking to Roxas.

"Please, call me Sonya. You'll make me feel old," she teased. A maid came through the door carrying a tightly wrapped, human looking bundle, stopping when she saw Sonya.

"Mistress, I'll take the young one upstairs." Sonya nodded and ran her petite fingers over the bundle, and Roxas could automatically tell that the bundle was indeed the baby.

Sonya, catching on with her step-son's curiosity, smiled and smoothed Sora's hair as the brunette cooed and hugged her waist. "I'm sorry Ronald hasn't told you about her. Kairi is your new baby sister. Please accept her, as it isn't her fault you didn't know."

Roxas instantly flushed. He felt bad for having been angry with the baby. Sonya was right; it wasn't her fault. If anyone, he should be upset with his father—

"Welcome home, son."

Roxas turned to see his old man in the doorway, smiling, almost fakely, like his mother had before they left the hotel. He felt unimportant again, under the man's gaze, and glanced down at the marble floor when he felt Ron pat his head and mess up his spiky blonde locks. "It's good to see you again so soon. I see you've met the family." Before saying anything else, he allowed a maid to take his hat and coat, and then headed by himself into the dining room. His father was lean and thin, with light brown hair to the point where it almost seemed red. Unlike before, he looked like an important man. Maybe he had gotten a job thanks to his new money.

Sonya kissed Sora's forehead and then left him to follow Ron into the dining room. Roxas stood in his spot, still staring at the floor, until he felt his step-brother tug on his sleeve. "I know, nii-chan. He's not a very nice man, is he?"

_So… Sora knows too._ He thought sadly. It was almost like his father _wasn't_ his father. Roxas felt like he was barging in on someone else's life. Like he was supposed to be Sora and have the loving mother and 'father'. He wished his family could have been different. Maybe then he would have made friends like Sora and Riku earlier on. He might have been happier while he was a kid. Now he was almost grown up, and most of his childhood only held sad memories and pain. Why didn't his father say sorry? Roxas must really not be important. He wasn't worth a second thought.

"Please cheer up, nii-chan," Sora almost whimpered, pulling his step-brother into a hug. Roxas' eyes widened as he was snapped from his thoughts, but his crystalline hues softened and he sighed against the fabric of Sora's red shirt.

"I'm okay." Roxas pulled back a bit and gave the other a reassuring smile. In turn, Sora smiled back. Together, they headed into the dining room to join Ron and Sonya for dinner. It was a quiet one, besides Sora and Sonya's talking about their day. Roxas quietly ate his food. _They seem really close…_

After dinner ended, they had a bit of cake for dessert before Sonya excused herself to spend time with Kairi. Roxas and Sora left the table together, and ended up heading back into the blonde's room. Outside it was dark, but bright as the moon shined down on the snow. They laid together on Roxas' bed, staring out into the starry night as the day almost ended in Bellerose.

"Tomorrow I'll take you to school with me… Everything is already bought for you, you know. Riku will pick us up tomorrow. Think of all the new friends you'll make!" Sora smiled and rubbed his head against Roxas'. The blonde was already getting used to the fact that Sora liked physical contact. He wasn't worried about it. His feet hung over the side of the bed while Sora's were propped against the blue wall. They sat in silence, Roxas slightly dazed. He didn't know when it was that he finally fell asleep, but all he knew was that he felt like he had finally gotten someone who would have his back and understand him. For a goofy guy, Sora really did have a brilliant mind. But Roxas did wish he was a bit more prepared for what would come in store the next day.

---

**A/N**: Wa, wa, waaaaa. Cliffhanger much? XD Up to you to decide. Yay! I made a longer chapter than the last!


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N**: This is not my first yaoi fanfiction. Any flames you have, well, you can keep them to yourself. I know damned well that they aren't gay in the games/manga, but I do have the right to my imagination being shared with the public. ;3

Hardo Gei, HOOO! Yes. I love Hard Gay. Look him up on YouTube. HILARIOUS! Anyway, here's the third chapter. And, ta-da, ENTER: AXEL! Boy, Roxas is not prepared for this. You won't be either.

**Warning(s)**: Rated MA for future lemons in future chapters. This involves yaoi, which is m/m sexual relations. If that freaks you out, then I wonder why you stumbled on this fanfic to begin with… hmm…

**Pairings**: So far, you've got to know it will end up Axel/Roxas. You're secretly getting unknown hints of Riku/Sora. And, if you're weird, sometimes I put in some Riku/Roxas or Roxas/Sora. XD YOU'RE CONFUSED!

---

Twilight Town's sandlot was bustling with activity. Several citizens from all over came to cheer on the Struggle match, all ready to see if someone could win against Setzer. The match was down to four finalists. A tall, lean teenager who seemed like he had been in a few gang fights with his smug attitude who seemed to have some people to back him up. A shorter blonde with slicked back hair and cargo pants that looked like he had a serious attitude problem when it came to strangers. An odd, short little… person… with a pointy hat that seemed to giggle a lot; very mysterious. And, last but not least, a spiky haired blonde with dashing crystalline eyes, who looked to have troubles beyond anyone's comprehension.

For a moment, the picture blurred, almost as if it were being watched on a television and the projection was lost.

In a clash of friendship, both blonde's fought. The spiky-haired male ended up wining, much to the other's dismay. Then it was the tall gang member fighting against his short companion. The tall teen lost in a flash of mysterious, awed faces. Finally, it was the blonde against the small one.

Time froze right as the blonde gave his final blow. Golden hair shimmered in the sunlight as he fell to one knee, glancing around with wide eyes as he stared at the faces of his friends and fellow civilians. How could they just suddenly become frozen like that? "-----, all right! Fight, fight, fight." The blonde turned to see a man cloaked in black, a hood over his face, coming towards him on the sandlot stage. His cerulean eyes narrowed and he clutched his Struggle weapon a bit tighter.

"You really don't remember? It's me. You know, A—"…

Roxas awoke in a cold sweat. He sat up straight, only his arms supporting him, as his chest heaved. What was going on? Those dreams weren't scary… so why did he wake up as if they were? That blonde… he never got a good look at his face. But the crimson-haired man… he… he could make that guy out rather well. Who were they? And why would he have dreams about people he didn't even know? They didn't even have anything to do with him, so there was no reason to dream about them, right? Nonetheless, there were plaguing his mind. And he couldn't afford to let odd dreams like that interfere with his 'new life'.

It was a good thing he had woken up, because about three minutes later, the door slammed open and Sora came bounding in, fully dressed and smelling clean. Today he wore a uniform, it seemed. Roxas couldn't quite place it, but it just didn't seem like something Sora would wear. The pants were a shade of blue that seemed to fit right in with his room, while his shirt was just your average white button up with a school crest on the upper left on the chest. He could barely read the inscription from so far away, but he learned later that school was called 'Destiny Academy for Boys'.

"Wakey, wakey, no eggs and bacey for you because it just leads to large thighs and buttocks" Sora sang with a snicker as he hopped onto his step-brother's bed and starting hopping up and down, though careful not to accidentally land on any of the blonde's limbs. Roxas groaned, having not wanted to get up. He buried his head under his pillow. _How can Sora wake up so early? He was up later than me…_ Roxas wondered with a frown as the brunette showed no signs of letting up on his bouncing.

"You wouldn't want to be late on your first day of new school, would you? Come oooon!" he droned, falling on top of the dark lump on the bed, tickling Roxas' sides. The blonde, being very ticklish, couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. He popped out of the blankets, crystalline hues already shimmering from the slender fingers over his sensitive sides.

"S-Sora! D-d-dooon't!" he pleaded, trying to squirm away. However, Sora, finding this knew information, was not going to let him go that easily.

"Oh ho ho, I don't think so!" Sora teased. He didn't stop until Roxas seemed exhausted to the point where he just fell limp. The brunette giggled a bit and sat at the blonde's side, waiting for him to recover so they could get a move on. Eventually, Roxas sat up, glaring slightly at the other just in case Sora decided he wasn't finished with the tickling. When he found that he probably wouldn't, he slowly released his own sides.

"So… what time is it, anyway?"

Sora grinned happily and hopped off the bad. Geeze, the guy was so flexible and active, the blonde could swear he would end up being an acrobat or something. He hoped his step-brother didn't have a dose of sugar for breakfast… that would definitely be hell for most of the morning. But he smirked, shaking his head as he raked slender fingers through his blonde hair. Sora wasn't as bad as he 'made him out to be', but Roxas just had to get used to his full attitude. For nearly one day, he had to say he was getting used to him pretty fast.

"It's 7 o'clock! So get up, sleepy head! Riku is going to come and get us in a _half an hour!_" The brunette pulled on Roxas' arm and dragged him out of bed. Nearly falling on the floor if it hadn't been for Sora's grip, the blonde grunted and nodded, slipping out of the other's grasp to head into his bathroom – the next door in the hall. Sora exited his room after him, but waved when he saw his mother coming down the hall. Roxas looked up and blinked, but nodded his head to acknowledge she was there.

"Good morning, dears," Sonya said with a kind smile, reached out and smoothing her son's hair as he happily waddled over to her. Roxas could feel a ting of jealousy but he shook it away. He and his mother would never have that kind of relationship; he should just get over it now and get done with it.

"G'morning, mama! Nii-chan is going to take a shower, isn't that great?!" Sora, in an odd, almost serious happy voice, asked as he wrapped his arms around his mother's thin waist. Roxas heard her laugh and blushed. Even her _laugh_ sounded beautiful. Sora was really lucky, or at least that's what the blonde thought.

"That's wonderful. It's good for him to keep clean." The woman slowly took her hands away from Sora and slipped out of his strong arms, stepping over to Roxas. His cheeks heated and he contemplated on hiding in the bathroom behind him, but he had thought too late, for the woman had placed her small hands on his shoulders and had leaned down to press a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Have a good day at school, sweetheart."

-

Roxas' shower didn't take long. Like always, he was in and out within five minutes. With a towel wrapped around his waist, he attempted to dry his hair with a blow dryer so he could fix it in its usual spiky way before having to get dressed. He stayed in front of the mirror for longer than he was in the shower, but he eventually left the bathroom and headed into his bedroom…

…only to find Riku and Sora talking on his bed.

"Do you _mind?_" he snapped, wrapping the towel a bit more securely around his waist since he was paranoid that it would fall off. Riku and Sora both looked over, but Sora was the only one who giggled. Riku just smirked at him, those beautiful eyes flashing. Roxas immediately found himself blushing, so he turned his back. It was a good thing that his hair didn't obey him when he tried to style it this morning, because he was blushing so hard that his ears turned red.

"Yay, nii-chan is out of the shower!" Sora cheered, hopping up and down on the bed while Riku chuckled softly at both Roxas and the brunette who was acting like his regular happy self. Roxas inched towards his dresser, which agonizingly brought him closer to the pair on the bed. Riku must have finally decided it was time for them to leave, for Roxas could see the platinum-haired man grip Sora's arm gently and lead him out of the room.

"Let's give him some privacy," he said, glancing back at Roxas one last time before fully leading his hyper step-brother from the room. Roxas felt his throat dry, but he swallowed and shook it from his system. This would be his first day of new school. He didn't want to burden himself with thinking Riku was trying to drive him crazy. Although, remembering how the pale man had cupped his cheek and came so close to his face the other day…

"AUGH." The blonde kept his towel on until he pulled his clothes out of his new dresser, merely because he was still paranoid about someone coming into the room. Since there were still clothes in his dresser that he knew he wasn't going to wear, he had made sure yesterday that he placed the ones he _did_ want to wear on the top of the pile. He wasn't going to get dressed in regular clothing, since the academy required a uniform, but Sora told him to bring an extra change of clothes because they might take him out some place after school ended.

Despite how his step-brother had bought him a new backpack, he was still much more content with his black one. He stuffed a green turtle neck and cool baggy pants with a design on the pockets inside of his pack and wobbled back over to his dresser to get his uniform and some boxers.

The uniform mirrored Sora's exactly. It was a perfect fit, though surprising because Sora seemed to be a bit snug in his own uniform, but he felt comfortable in the while shirt and dark blue trousers. Roxas gripped the end of his button up shirt, admiring the crest, when Sora barged back into the room. Riku followed soon after, and Roxas noticed that the male was wearing the same uniform that they were, only the top of his button up wasn't buttoned, exposing his thin collarbones and what looked like the chain necklace that Sora had been wearing when Roxas met him at the train station.

"Wow! Nii-chan looks so cute in his uniform, huh Riku?" Sora asked, draping his arms around his step-brother's shoulders. Roxas, feeling a bit smothered, merely rubbed the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. Riku smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the two, but he didn't say anything. It seemed to fit the guy's personality, but Roxas had to wonder what Riku was thinking about with that smirk plastered on his face.

Sora pulled back and Roxas flicked his crystalline gaze straight into his step-brother's, blinking slowly. "You didn't have breakfast, nii-chan. Ohh, you know they sell food in our school's cafeteria in the morning! Riku, could we lend him some money?"

Roxas flushed again, shaking his head as he absently placed two hands on Sora's shoulders. "No, no… I'm not really hungry," he mumbled, frowning when he saw Riku get up from his bed and fish in his dark blue trousers for his wallet. "Really, you don't have to…"

"Don't be silly, Roxas. You need energy on your first day of school, right?" Riku questioned with a slender quirk of his brow. Roxas lowered his chin and glanced at the floor, but it seemed like he wasn't getting out of this. Even though he wasn't looking at the platinum haired man, he knew that he was smirking.

"Yahoo! Let's go now!" Sora exclaimed, letting Roxas go now. Riku pulled a ten from his wallet and forced it into the blonde's hands, but smiled at him. Was that the first time he had smiled instead of smirked? Roxas felt his ears burn, but he distracted himself by glancing at Sora, who was smiling a lot more brightly at him, almost as if he were dazed and thinking about the day ahead.

Roxas sighed a bit and ended up smiling. He shoved the money into his pocket just as Riku had shoved his wallet back into his own pocket and then nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." Sora galloped happily out of the room, leading the way towards the front door, which inconveniently happened to be quite a walk from Roxas' room.

-

Riku's black Mustang was covered in snow when they got outside. For a few minutes, the platinum haired man was swiping it off, while Sora and Roxas talked in the car, cold and bundled up in their coats. Sora wasn't wearing the same coat as he did the day Roxas met him. Instead, it was light blue, adorned in all kinds of random pins. Sora especially showed him his favorite—the one on his sleeve that said 'my cat could kick your dog's ass', which led to the brunette confessing that he actually didn't have a cat, but he _did_ have an imaginary one named Pluto.

Before Roxas could ask why Sora didn't just get a real cat, Riku came in and made a face. "Talking about cats?" he asked, seemingly irritated. Sora giggled and sat back in the front seat, but didn't respond to Riku.

"Riku is allergic to cats. He blows up like a balloon whenever he touches one!" the brunette explained but Riku seemed to glare at him and he covered both hands over his mouth, though he still seemed amused to have told Roxas that sort of information. The platinum male sighed and started the car, and then they were off.

_So that's why Sora doesn't get a cat,_ Roxas concluded in his head with a slight nod in reality to confirm it. He looked up to notice Riku glancing at him through the rear view mirror again. He flushed. Why did Riku always look at him when he looked up? It was… an odd feeling. Like his stomach was doing back flips.

They talked in the car like always, but the conversation was really only between Sora and Roxas. Sora did most of the talking, and once in a rare while, Riku would say something, but only if the brunette asked him something. It turned out that the school wasn't all that far from the house-mansion. But still, Roxas felt like they were still riding for a long time. Silence eventually fell over the three when Riku turned the radio on to calm Sora down and the brunette began to sing happily to the music. The blonde pressed his cheek against the window and watched the snowflakes melt as soon as they touched the window. Like usual, he almost found himself falling asleep, but before he could, the car pulled into a parking lot and Riku turned off the car.

"We're here," Riku stated the obvious and pushed open the door after pulling the keys out of the ignition. From Roxas' current position, he couldn't see the building. Sora quickly got out and rounded to open the door for him before he could get out, and then reached out to his step-brother with a grin.

"You'll be so happy here! It's the best school ever!"

_Really?_ Roxas had to wonder as he took Sora's hand just to satisfy his weird step-brother. He slowly got out of the car and gaped at the building. It was a lot fancier than his old schools had been. But the blonde had to say, the large stone building looked beautiful when it was covered and surrounded in the soft light of the snow. The building itself was a little darker than the color of his jacket, not that one could see the color with all the snow that was falling. Wide, large glass doors were what welcomed the students into the front entrance, and front where he stood next to the car, Roxas could see what looked like staff members accepted student's coats. What, did they not have lockers?

Riku started to walk towards the building, but he looked amused by Roxas' reaction. Sora hurried to catch up to him, but made sure to glance over his shoulder to see that Roxas wouldn't he glued to his spot. "Wait 'till you see the inside," he chirped cheerfully, and began hopping through the snow, yellow converse disappearing every time his feet touched the ground. Roxas began to slowly follow, his eyes wide like a kid on Christmas. He was exited to see what was on the inside, really.

Too bad he didn't get to.

Roxas had been following the two about 14 feet behind them, craning his neck as he stared up at the building like he had when he saw the house-mansion. It was amazing. He would have never been able to go to this school if his father hadn't met Sonya. Roxas just wished that—

The last thing he saw was a bright light to his right, and the suddenly shocked faces of Riku and Sora as they whipped around. Maybe Roxas didn't hear the squealing of tires and the yell of someone telling him to _get out of the way _as a red Saturn's tired locked up from trying to brake on the snow and ended up hitting him…

Riku quickly broke away from Sora in a tense rush. The car had skidded and hit Roxas probably around 25 mph and it didn't look like it wasn't painful. Sora was screaming and students gathered around the red car that had now stopped. The driver of the car kicked open the door and rushed out before Riku could get a chance to see that Roxas lay half under the front of the Saturn, obviously knocked out. The driver's hair was probably the same flaming color of his car. His eyes were slanted and a brilliant emerald green, his chin sharp but a bit longer than Riku's, and there seemed to be some kind of tattoos of upside down, long triangles right below both of his eyes.

"Shit, shit, SHIT!" the man cursed, kneeling down next to Roxas but afraid to touch him. As soon as Riku reached them, he exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE! THIS IS A FUCKING PARKING LOT!" Students that had gathered around backed up at the sound of the normally quiet young man yelling with such anger and passion in his voice. Sora nearly slipped when he ran to Riku's side, and instantly burst into tears when he saw the snow around Roxas was red, rather than the pale white.

---

**A/N**: OMG. Did I just leave you in a cliffhanger? What will happen to Roxas?! OHNOES!


End file.
